Charles had been afraid. A plan like that, even one so much simpler than his usual plans...
Well, there was a reason that he had gained a short patience. His plans rarely worked out the way he wanted them to, and it took many failed attempts for him to learn the hard lesson that complexity was simply inviting disaster.
And so he waited and dreaded his counterpart discovering their plot. Or the servants overhearing them working out the details. Or even this world's Haytham Kenway deciding to eliminate the unknown element in this world and terminate his presence.
He was not afraid to say that these fears kept him up at night, and he often found restless strolls to be somewhat comforting, even as they gave him even more time to ponder what could go wrong.
Damn his ever-thinking mind! Would that he were able to turn off his thoughts as the likes of Hickey could do. It was a very useful trait, and certainly his fretting was not helping any. Even Doctor White had noted it and warned him that the chances of his having a mishap were all the greater for his ceaseless anxiety.
If only he could take such advice. Alas, his mind was not so easily stopped, and with his memory of his failure with his wife so clear in his mind, he found sleep difficult.
One day turned into two, and then two into three. And soon, he declared that he would leave to seek his fortune.
As expected, the servants looked relieved, though no less wary. Doctor Davies did not seem to suspect a thing, but his counterpart...
The man was clearly suspicious, but was cuaght between a desire to see Charles leave and a distrust of Charles's intent. It was exactly as Charles and Doctor White had hoped. Caught between the two sentiments, the other Charles ended up voicing nothing at all and instead made arrangements to see Charels off.
It was as Charles had planned. It was a vital part of the plan, and Charles should be feeling rather triumpahnt that his plan had nearly come to fruition with minimal effort on his part.
And he would be, under any other circumstances.
But...
Charles shifted atop his horse and glanced at his companion. His counterpart had done him no real wrong. Nothing like what the man had done to his own wife. For Charles to be killing him still felt rather disgusting to Charles.
Surely, Charles thought. Surely there must be a way to resolve all this without the unnecessary bloodshed.
Ah, but he had made the promise to Doctor White, that he would do everything in his power to make things right and give this world's Connor the best chance at life at this point. And while Charles was not so foolish as to believe it unthinkable to ever break a promise, he was not sort to break them easily.
Promises were not forever. They could be broken and often were with impunity. But Charles was a man of his word, and he tried, at least, to keep as many as possible. Within reason.
But he did not revel in the sight of mindless killing or blood either, and that he had to erase his own double in this world...
That definitely felt uncanny somehow.
Perhaps if he tried again to get his counterpart to understand the part he played in his wife's ailment, if he tried harder to influence the other Charles...
Yes. He didn't really try hard enough. He needed to do more, so that he could return home without effectively killing himself.
It would be for the best. If the Connor of this world woke, what then? His land was seized in the name of the Charles of this world. His monies and properties were confiscated and added to his husband's property. He had survived before, or so Doctor White had informed Charles, but that was largely due to the generosity of Achilles Davenport. The man had raised Connor, give him food and lodging and taught him skills. That initial help from Achilles was enough to make a successful businessman out of Connor.
Charles's lips curled.
And an Assassin, yet another trade that Connor earned somewhat of a living on. But both these avenues were now closed to the Omega and unlike before, there was no more Achilles Davenport to bequeath properties and a living onto him.
Keeping the other Charles alive would enable the Connor of this world to survive.
And the servants! Surely they would be devastated if their master disappeared as Charles was likely to do once this world's Connor woke. It would be best for Mary and Ronald and all the others if he did not kill his counterpart. They needed their master, needed his employment and needed his use of their services. It was all they had known for a very long time, and while Charles did not doubt that Mary and Ronald could find work with little difficulty, he did worry about the other servants.
Their skills were rather simple, something that most indentured servants fresh off the boats could do. And unlike those indentured servants, they were freemen and freewomen and thus would require a higher salary than those indentured servants. In this day and age, they could not hope to compete against them.
Which meant the master of the house had to stay alive. If Charles Lee disappeared from this world...
The consequences would be disastrous. And Charles planned to disappear, to return to his own world.
He shot another glance at his companion, still watching him warily.
Finding Connor 25
Chapter 24
Charles had been afraid. A plan like that, even one so much simpler than his usual plans...
Well, there was a reason that he had gained a short patience. His plans rarely worked out the way he wanted them to, and it took many failed attempts for him to learn the hard lesson that complexity was simply inviting disaster.
And so he waited and dreaded his counterpart discovering their plot. Or the servants overhearing them working out the details. Or even this world's Haytham Kenway deciding to eliminate the unknown element in this world and terminate his presence.
He was not afraid to say that these fears kept him up at night, and he often found restless strolls to be somewhat comforting, even as they gave him even more time to ponder what could go wrong.
Damn his ever-thinking mind! Would that he were able to turn off his thoughts as the likes of Hickey could do. It was a very useful trait, and certainly his fretting was not helping any. Even Doctor White had noted it and warned him that the chances of his having a mishap were all the greater for his ceaseless anxiety.
If only he could take such advice. Alas, his mind was not so easily stopped, and with his memory of his failure with his wife so clear in his mind, he found sleep difficult.
One day turned into two, and then two into three. And soon, he declared that he would leave to seek his fortune.
As expected, the servants looked relieved, though no less wary. Doctor Davies did not seem to suspect a thing, but his counterpart...
The man was clearly suspicious, but was cuaght between a desire to see Charles leave and a distrust of Charles's intent. It was exactly as Charles and Doctor White had hoped. Caught between the two sentiments, the other Charles ended up voicing nothing at all and instead made arrangements to see Charels off.
It was as Charles had planned. It was a vital part of the plan, and Charles should be feeling rather triumpahnt that his plan had nearly come to fruition with minimal effort on his part.
And he would be, under any other circumstances.
But...
Charles shifted atop his horse and glanced at his companion. His counterpart had done him no real wrong. Nothing like what the man had done to his own wife. For Charles to be killing him still felt rather disgusting to Charles.
Surely, Charles thought. Surely there must be a way to resolve all this without the unnecessary bloodshed.
Ah, but he had made the promise to Doctor White, that he would do everything in his power to make things right and give this world's Connor the best chance at life at this point. And while Charles was not so foolish as to believe it unthinkable to ever break a promise, he was not sort to break them easily.
Promises were not forever. They could be broken and often were with impunity. But Charles was a man of his word, and he tried, at least, to keep as many as possible. Within reason.
But he did not revel in the sight of mindless killing or blood either, and that he had to erase his own double in this world...
That definitely felt uncanny somehow.
Perhaps if he tried again to get his counterpart to understand the part he played in his wife's ailment, if he tried harder to influence the other Charles...
Yes. He didn't really try hard enough. He needed to do more, so that he could return home without effectively killing himself.
It would be for the best. If the Connor of this world woke, what then? His land was seized in the name of the Charles of this world. His monies and properties were confiscated and added to his husband's property. He had survived before, or so Doctor White had informed Charles, but that was largely due to the generosity of Achilles Davenport. The man had raised Connor, give him food and lodging and taught him skills. That initial help from Achilles was enough to make a successful businessman out of Connor.
Charles's lips curled.
And an Assassin, yet another trade that Connor earned somewhat of a living on. But both these avenues were now closed to the Omega and unlike before, there was no more Achilles Davenport to bequeath properties and a living onto him.
Keeping the other Charles alive would enable the Connor of this world to survive.
And the servants! Surely they would be devastated if their master disappeared as Charles was likely to do once this world's Connor woke. It would be best for Mary and Ronald and all the others if he did not kill his counterpart. They needed their master, needed his employment and needed his use of their services. It was all they had known for a very long time, and while Charles did not doubt that Mary and Ronald could find work with little difficulty, he did worry about the other servants.
Their skills were rather simple, something that most indentured servants fresh off the boats could do. And unlike those indentured servants, they were freemen and freewomen and thus would require a higher salary than those indentured servants. In this day and age, they could not hope to compete against them.
Which meant the master of the house had to stay alive. If Charles Lee disappeared from this world...
The consequences would be disastrous. And Charles planned to disappear, to return to his own world.
He shot another glance at his companion, still watching him warily.
That meant he could not kill his counterpart.